The present mixture is generally directed to a safe and significantly more effective treatment for insect control. Additionally, the present mixture provides quick knockdown of insects, a high mortality rate, and long-lasting residual control.
Synanthropic insect infestations are a persistent problem. Many insects are difficult to detect until the population is very large and poses a significant threat to human health and welfare. Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are under investigation as biological and mechanical vectors of human disease and there have been documented cases of them carrying antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus. 
Bed bugs are difficult to detect because they are small, cryptic pests and are usually nocturnal. Currently, there are a limited number of means for capturing and containing bed bugs. Often, use of insecticides is the only way to thoroughly treat an environment and provide effective, long-lasting control.
However, the insecticides currently registered are often reported to provide inadequate residual control of bed bugs. Residual control is in reference to control, mitigation and/or prevention of infestations after the date of initial treatment. True residual control provides protection against re-infestation for at least, if not exceeding, 30 days after treatment. Applicants' mixture surprisingly provided improved residual efficacy against pyrethroid resistant, pyrethroid susceptible, and wild-type, field strain bed bugs.
True residual control is difficult to achieve with currently registered insecticides due to resistance found amongst bed bug populations. Bed bug resistance to synthetic pyrethroids has been thoroughly documented in populations of bugs obtained from field sites. Therefore, efforts to enact bed bug control measures using traditional and available insecticides are often ineffective due to the inherent resistance profiles encountered by pest management professionals (PMPs) and consumers of household insecticides.
Resistance is a complex phenomenon arising from exposure to the same or similar insecticide class over a period of multiple insect generations. Resistance develops due to extinction of susceptible individuals within the population and survival with subsequent reproduction of individuals who are inherently “immune” to the effects of the insecticide. Resistance can be due to multiple factors to include target site mutations, selection of detoxification enzymes and decreased cuticular penetration. Resistance may arise in nave populations that have been previously identified as insecticide susceptible or those which have been exposed to insecticides of another or similar class or mode of action. Cross resistance can occur and in addition to physiological resistance, behavioral resistance mechanisms may also be present. The end result of current control measures is that available insecticides are often inadequate to provide the mortality rates necessary to completely eliminate or collapse then insect population. As the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has determined that pyrethroid-resistant colonies pose a significant human health risk, there is a need in the art for a safe and effective insect control formulation that provides superior bed bug control.